The Dancers — l’Opéra de Paris

A line of merchandising designed by Fabrica for the Galerie de l’Opéra de Paris, including notebooks, pencils, rubbers and a ballet shoe bag.

Conceived by Portuguese designer Catarina Carreiras, the collection pays homage to some of the first dancers in the history of ballet, but it is also a tribute to the modernity of this prestigious French institution.

Modern graphic patterns that call to mind the ornamental opulence of the theatre’s interior, are blended with historic details, celebrating its past and its great tradition. The portraits of dancers seen on the items are reminiscent of the frescoes painted by French artist Gustave Boulanger for the Foyer de la dance, one of the rooms inside the theatre. The ballerinas include Marie-Thérèse de Subligny, one of the first professional dancers at the Opéra (1690); Marie-Madeleine Guimard, star of the Opéra for 25 years (1792) and Fanny Elssler, a famous Austrian dancer from the Romantic period (1834).

The skilful use of colours – silver-grey in contrast with a bright pink – and motifs such as polka dots and stripes spreads from one item to the next, but each with its own distinctive details. In this way, each product is unique, but still part of a group, just like the corps de ballet of the Opéra national de Paris.